


La Chute

by marshskullcap



Series: Sanitarium [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Drug Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, Gore, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Homophobic Language, M/M, Mental Institutions, Multi, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 22:29:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1664840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marshskullcap/pseuds/marshskullcap
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The doctors, nurses, orderlies and religious persons believe that mental illness is merely an excuse for sin, and subject the patients to abuse, horror, and blasphemous experiments. Visitors can hear the screaming, roaring, crying, and the shaking of chains. </p><p>Young Armin Arlert is a reporter who's taken an interest in Maria's Lunatic Asylum. He decides to fake 'madness' and infiltrate the institution to expose the abuse, murder, and deceit happening in the place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	La Chute

**Author's Note:**

> I have to warn you now : this is in the very racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist - basically everything shitty you can think of time period. The story happens in between the period of 1910 to 1920, so yes, there will be racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, etc slurs and stuff. I DO NOT AGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT I WRITE HERE IN REAL LIFE. THIS IS FICTION. IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE, I WOULD BE OUTRAGED. BUT, I am trying to write a (mostly) historically accurate story, with abuse and really gross people. I am not a homophobe (kind of weird for a gay person to be a homophobe). I am not racist. I am not sexist. I am not ableist. 
> 
> ANYWAYS, thank you. I wrote this because I do like reading and looking at this kind of stuff, in FICTION, ok? There's going to be a lot of weird, shitty, asshole, disgusting behavior. I would never condone these kinds of behaviors in real life - in fact, if someone spoke to me the way they did in this fic or anyone else, I'd be fucking ticked. HOWEVER, it's different in fiction, because it's not real. 
> 
> AND IF IT'S NOT REAL, I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT.

''Butt me, Arlert.''

Mikasa's sharp voice interrupts Armin's thoughts, and he jumps a little when she speaks. His hand shakes a little as he hands her the cigarette from the open packet in his pocket, anxiety creating a lump in his throat and sweat to form on his brow.

The lady's lips are pursed when he looks at her. She's scowling at him. ''Are you sure this is what you want to do? Never been to this joint but I'm sure it's fucked in there. They're all raving mad, ya?''

Armin huffs. ''So? I'm going in, even if they're screwy or whatever, doesn't mean they get to be treated like this, right?''

Mikasa blows smoke from her lips as he speaks.

''I've read some articles, Miss Ackerman. I can't stand by and let this happen.'' His voice rises as he speaks, and it makes him feel more confident.

She snorts. ''Alright, sap. Don't get bumped off, OK? You're one of the best journalists I've got, and I'm counting on this story. I'm not gonna tell you 'I told you so' at your funeral or nothin' if you die in there.'

He nods. Mikasa takes her cigarette and crushes it on the ground with her shoe, offering him a quick glance and a ''don't hesitate to call if you want out'' before she starts walking towards the building, and he's left wondering for a small moment about whether or not he really wants to do this.

He follows, nearly stumbling over his own feet on the steps.

Fiddling with his fingers, he tries to put on the craziest expression he can. He collects drool in his mouth and fakes a twitch in his eye. He hopes they'll believe his act and only grows more anxious as Mikasa opens the doors loudly.

''Excuse me! I need assistance! Help!'' She yells, and he winces as her sharp voice beside him.

He sees someone come forward towards them - a nun, and Mikasa sees her too. ''Hey! You! I need help. He's crazy!'' She shrieks, and Armin fakes a growl. ''He's gone mad. Tried to kill me and the folks! We can't keep him anymore. Please, you have to take him.'' Armin is amazed at how good of an actress Mikasa can be.

The old nun nods in understanding, and before he can even process what is happening, she's called two men to take him away.

Mikasa feels her heart beat violently in her chest as she watches them drag a kicking and screaming Armin into another room.

''Darling? I'm going to need you to come with me, please.'' The old woman's voice is frail and quiet, and Mikasa doesn't like it. ''We just need information on him.''

She follows.

* * *

Armin is stripped and tied while he's standing, to the wall behind him. They pour ice cold water over him - three buckets full, and he shivers. The men who restrained him take him away from the cuffs and instead set him down onto a bed, violently grabbing his wrists to wrap them in leather restraints that are tied to the bed.

He snarls at them when they come near again, but they look like they're used to it.

''He's fucked.'' One of them says.

''Yep. I'll get doctor Sina - she's a woman, but she's pretty good with patients like these.''

Armin closes his eyes and pants. The man leaves the room and comes back with someone in white, a doctor - doctor 'Sina'.

* * *

ARMIN ARLERT, MALE, WHITE, 21 YEARS, UNMARRIED, COMMITTED MAY 20TH, 1916.

 

ADMITTED DUE TO REASONS OF INSANITY.

 

THIS MAN IS A DANGEROUS, RAVING MANIAC.

 

TREATMENT WILL BEGIN MAY 21ST, 1916, BY DOCTOR SINA.

 

PATIENT IS VIOLENT.

 

PATIENT WILL BE RESTRAINED AT ALL TIMES. 

* * *

 Doctor Sina looks over his file, holding Mikasa's statement in the other hand. She's trying to drown out Armin's crazed screaming and growling, but when she can't, she asks one of the orderlies to gag him.

They do. Armin's mouth is suddenly invaded by a terrible taste, and his nose by the terrible smell of acrid urine. He feels like vomiting. He's trying hard, but now all he wants to do is go home.

''Mister Arlert, if you would please calm down. We are starting treatment first thing tomorrow, and I'm prescribing you depletion and purgation: to restore the body to balance and purge the evil and sin from you. Hydrotherapy for, uh, relaxation. You will receive wet towel treatment to aid your sleeping-'' she snorts, ''and rest. And last of all, a lowering diet for your health. Other medications and therapy may be added, if you worsen.''

She writes this all down on his file;

 

PATIENT WILL BE PRESCRIBED DEPLETION AND PURGATION, WET TOWEL TREATMENT, HYDROTHERAPY, LOWERING DIET.

  

She clicks her pen closed and puts it in her pocket, setting the file down before she begins to speak to him. He struggles in his restraints.

''So - it was your sister who put you in here? You must have given her quite the fright, Mister Arlert. She payed a lot of voot to get you in here, sonny boy.'' She stands up and puts a painted finger on his chest.

''You better _appreciate_ everything we're doing here. There are rules, and you will be punished if you don't follow them.'' Sina gestures to the large men that are flanking his bed.

''Solitary confinement will be put in order, for as long as I decide if it is a minor break of the rules. You better hope you don't find out about the rest. You will be allowed one call a day if you are not being punished, and your sister may visit every Thursday and Sunday, though I don't know why she'd want to visit _you._ You are fed two small meals a day as part of your lowering diet. Chores will be given whenever you are free, and therapy any other time. You are allowed rest whenever you are in your room for lights out. Am I clear?''

He shakes his head, but she's gone anyways, taking both men with her. He's left alone to shiver, tears of frustration stinging at his eyes as he considers leaving.

_But this is only the beginning, think of what the other patients have to go through_ , he thinks _, you will shut this place down._

* * *

"What is the patients name?" 

"Arlert, sir. Armin Arlert. He's completely crazy. I've seen it, too! I can smell it on him."

"Yes, alright, Zacharias. I only asked for his name. You are dismissed." The man says, and the bearded orderly leaves his office. 

Erwin looks over Armin's file, and the open dorms available in the men's ward. He decides to put the blond boy in with one of the calmer patients. He doesn't completely agree with Sina's treatment choices, and decides to speak with her about it. 

Standing up from his chair, Erwin didn't even have to leave his desk before the doctor walks in; "Mister Smith?" 

The man sighs and sits back down. 

"I've told you about knocking before, Sina. Knock next time." 

She apologizes quickly, and continues to speak, "uh, well, about the new patient? Have you chosen a room?" She asks, her voice a little shaky. Erwin becomes suspicious. "There's been two more openings." 

Erwin raises his eyebrows. "Oh? What happened this time? Was it Yaeger? Braun?" 

Sina shakes her head. "It was Jean"- hearing the name, Smith flinches. The man's best friend had died. Marco had picked a fight with an orderly and was beaten so bad he'd bled out, leaving the poor Jean alone and insane. "-thought he saw Marco, again. I think we should put him down, he nearly killed both Levi and Mike! He managed to injure Bertholdt enough to put him in the hospital when he butt in." 

Erwin sighs again, and Sina keeps talking, "he's in solitary now."

He nods. Sina looks at him as if she wants to say more but he doesn't let her. "Write the reports - say it was an accident. We don't want the police poking their heads in here. Put the Armin boy with Eren or Farlan. I will speak to Mike and Levi about the incident."

* * *

Armin is left in the room all night, cold and damp and naked. By the time Sina, Mike, and the other orderly come in, his limbs are numb. 

"Are you awake, Mister Arlert?" She asks. 

"Fuck you!" 

Mike laughs at that, and the other orderly snorts, before speaking, "maybe we should put him in the common room. Let him _mingle_ with the other patients. You know, scare him?" His voice is deep and he has a French accent. 

The blond one, who's nearly towering over the other, agrees with a nod and they both look at Sina. 

She agrees. 

They dress him, without any care and wrap a tight, white but dirty straitjacket around him. He can hardly breathe as they pull him down two hallways and into a big room.

In the room, there's opera playing in one corner, a ruined chess board on a rickety table and two ratty brown couches that have too many holes to count. Armin gags because it smells like sweat and shit and piss and one of the patients is screaming in the corner, a hand down his pants. 

"Alright, Arlert, have fun." Mike says, and Armin is shoved into the room, unable to brace himself as he falls to the floor due to the jacket.  

There's only one nurser in the room, and she's ignoring him as he struggles on the floor, wriggling like a worm as he tries to pick himself up. He growls, sighing before completely giving up and deciding to relax in his bonds. There's no point. 

His moment of relaxation is interrupted when a woman - a patient, he assumes - trips over his immobile body and kicks him in the stomach. She's quick to pick herself up and keep running as the two orderlies he had before - Mike and the French one - run after her.  _Maybe she's escaping_ , Armin thinks with a smile, _good luck_. Meanwhile he can't even get up off the floor. 

There's someone else walking towards him, and instinctively he flinches. The feet don't come to kick him, though, and instead the other man crouches. "Did you see that? Ymir is trying to get out. You never get out. Do you want some help?" 

He has brown hair and tanned skin, green eyes and strong hands as he picks Armin up off the floor. 

"I'm Eren."


End file.
